By John Steigerwald, Director of Service, Central Region, Xclusive Services
As we look ahead to the FIFA World Cup, one thing is clear: this is not your typical busy season.
In markets like Kansas City, hosting six matches between June 16 and July 11, where we’re working closely with hotel partners, properties are preparing to be at or near 100 percent occupancy—not for a weekend, but for four to six weeks. That changes everything about how you plan, how you hire, and how you support your teams.
In hospitality, we’re used to surges. Big games, major conventions, seasonal peaks. But this kind of sustained demand is different. When you’re running full for that long, it’s not just about having enough people on day one. It’s about maintaining service levels over time, even as people get tired, call out, or move on.
That’s where preparation becomes the difference.
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that you can’t wait for demand to show up before you start hiring.
Right now, months ahead of these events, we’re already building pipelines. We’re testing every recruiting channel available to us—referrals, job boards, social platforms—and figuring out what’s actually working in each market. That way, when demand hits, we’re not guessing. We know where to go and how to scale.
A lot of staffing challenges come down to timing. If you’re reacting, you’re already behind.
It’s not enough to have people ready. They have to be ready to perform.
If a hotel knows they’re going to need 10 additional housekeepers during a stretch of full occupancy, those people can’t be starting from scratch when the first guests arrive. Training has to begin weeks in advance—learning brand standards, understanding expectations, getting comfortable in the environment.
That preparation pays off when things get busy. It’s the difference between keeping up and falling behind.
Another reality of sustained demand is that not everyone makes it through the full stretch.
Some workers decide the pace isn’t for them. Others take jobs in other industries. Life happens. So, when we think about staffing for a major event, we’re not just thinking about how many people we need—we’re thinking about how many we need plus a healthy cushion.
That’s where having a strong bench becomes critical. You need people ready to step in without disrupting service.
There’s another side to this that doesn’t get as much attention.
When done right, you don’t just meet demand—you build a deep pipeline of trained, proved workers. The question then becomes: what do you do with that talent when the event is over?
For us, that means looking beyond current orders and even current clients. It means going out and building new relationships, bringing that talent to new properties, and continuing to put people to work.
In our world, having more great people than open roles is a good problem to have. In hospitality we call it a Champagne Problem! But it still requires a plan. It makes no sense to go through the rigorous process of attracting, vetting, and training talented people to have them twiddling their thumbs when so many properties have a need for good people.
Key Takeaways
The World Cup is a unique moment, but the lessons apply everywhere.
Whether it’s a major event, a convention, or a seasonal peak, the fundamentals are the same:
In staffing, if you’re reacting, you’re already losing. The teams that succeed are the ones that prepare before the pressure shows up—and keep thinking a step ahead even after it passes.
Learn how Xclusive Services can bring the X Factor to your property today!
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